MLB Free Agency pace

[Airdrop01]

TribeFan, I call it “WAR Derangement Syndrome.”

It’s real and it’s negatively affecting the front office of a team near each of you.

“Do you know someone suffering from WDS? Are you suffering from WDS? You’re not alone. Together, we can overcome this affliction.”

Ha!

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

TribeFan, I call it “WAR Derangement Syndrome.”

It’s real and it’s negatively affecting the front office of a team near each of you.

“Do you know someone suffering from WDS? Are you suffering from WDS? You’re not alone. Together, we can overcome this affliction.”

Ha!

The abbreviation of WAR Derangement Syndrome should actually be WARDS, for reasons that become obvious once you say it out loud.

[TribeFanInNC]

Yes, I definitely have WARDS...lol

[Calvert98]

I still think it’s a bit early given where things are this year; that Fangraph article did hit on some issues (thanks for posting that link), and as a result, what might also be happening at the same time is that some teams with movable “assets” who are not “big-market”, are basically waiting it out this off-season, perhaps due to the overall situation. There are some arbitration cogs working their way through process for example as noted with the Jays recently.

And it was only within the last week or so where it appears the Orioles have decided that Machado will be moved. Aside from the dollars, I wonder if there was more interest than they had anticipated, but we will see what happens; Trumbo could be next.

Anyway, that’s my take. I’d be interested to hear what you guys think.

[Airdrop01]

Brewers making hay. Yelich and Cain.

Update on Cain: $80MM for 5 yrs. Good for LoCain. Getting 5 years versus 3 for him is huge.

[low]

Today has been a good day, but there has to be something else in the works. They still badly need a SP.

[Cobra Mgr]

Interesting........

Originally Posted by Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto

"There is a number of teams, let's call it 10 or 12 in baseball, that are tearing down and rebuilding. You could argue that you're going to compete with more clubs to try to get the first pick in the draft than you would to win the World Series."

I've said for a long time if the owners in all team sports really wanted to win, they would take all the revenues they share & divide it up according to where they finish in the standings. Champion gets the largest cut, cellar dweller gets the least. Ownership is more concerned with profitability than trophies.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Interesting........



I've said for a long time if the owners in all team sports really wanted to win, they would take all the revenues they share & divide it up according to where they finish in the standings. Champion gets the largest cut, cellar dweller gets the least. Ownership is more concerned with profitability than trophies.

The problem with that is you end up with the top teams making more money than the bottom teams so the bottom teams can never catch up, I know were your coming from but using the EPL as an example, last year Chelsea finished first they earned £30m for that, Sunderland finished bottom they earned £2m. Now with that Chelsea can go buy a player to strengthen there squad, Sunderland couldn’t even pay an average players wages with that so Chelsea have an advantage for doing the same the season after were as Sunderland fall further back. Like I say I can understand the frustration of owners just in it for the profit specially with revenue sharing, going cap in hand to the tax payer for better stadiums and such but not sure paying the bigger teams even more money is the answer. What the answer is I’m not sure, be honest not even sure there is an answer.

[G-Force]

Statements today from Tony Clark of MLBPA and the MLB itself:

Clark
“Pitchers and catchers will report to camps in Florida and Arizona in one week. A record number of talented free agents remain unemployed in an industry where revenues and franchise values are at record highs.

Spring training has always been associated with hope for a new season. This year a significant number of teams are engaged in a race to the bottom. This conduct is a fundamental breach of the trust between a team and its fans and threatens the very integrity of our game.”

MLB

“Our clubs are committed to putting a winning product on the field for their fans. Owners own teams for one reason: They want to win. In baseball, it has always been true that clubs go through cyclical, multiyear strategies directed at winning. It is common at this point in the calendar to have large numbers of free agents unsigned. What is uncommon is to have some of the best free agents sitting unsigned even though they have substantial offers, some in nine figures. It is the responsibility of player’s agents to value their clients in a constantly changing free-agent market based on factors such as positional demand, advanced analytics and the impact of the new Basic Agreement. To lay responsibility on the clubs for the failure of some agents to accurately assess the market is unfair, unwarranted, and inflammatory.”

GH

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

The problem with that is you end up with the top teams making more money than the bottom teams so the bottom teams can never catch up,

I've thought about that. I figure they can do it every other season. I also think the luxury tax & salary cap would keep teams from blowing the bank. Again, the priority is profit. Higher salaries means taking from the treasue chest.

I don't mind "tanking" with a purpose. But there shouldn't be 10+ franchises doing it. Each year, there should be a few climbing down, a few climbing up, a few looking to reach the playoffs, a few going for the title. It shouldn't be half & half.